Big East To Expand Football-Playing Membership

November 02, 2010|By DESMOND CONNER, dconner@courant.com

The door might have opened a little wider for Texas Christian and Central Florida — or Villanova — to join the Big East following the conference's decision Tuesday to increase its football-playing membership from eight to 10.

During their annual meeting, Big East presidents and athletic directors unanimously approved the process to evaluate the terms and conditions for potential expansion candidates. TCU, Central Florida, Houston and Villanova have been mentioned as prime targets for conference expansion.

"Today, our board of directors affirmed a set of key strategic initiatives, including expansion, designed to enhance membership stability and maximize our value," Big East commissioner John Marinatto said in a statement.

TCU and Central Florida make sense because both are ready and would enhance the Big East's profile.

The Horned Frogs (9-0) are ranked fourth in the nation and third in the BCS standings. The program has one of the most respected coaches in the country in Gary Patterson. UCF is a solid program with great facilities and a strong following. UCF also strengthens the Big East's presence in the recruit-rich state and creates a nice rivalry with South Florida.

Villanova, a Big East basketball member, is not a football member because of its Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) affiliation. But the Wildcats are exploring an upgrade, similar to what UConn did.

But there are questions.

Does it make financial sense in these economic times?

And why has the Big East settled on 10 and not 12?

Twelve could mean a 20-team basketball league. The Big East is already home to the nation's biggest basketball conference — 16 teams — and many coaches have often said that 16 is too many.

There is a belief that the Big East will partner with the Big 12 to petition the NCAA for a championship game for 10-team conferences. Currently, conferences that have championship games must have at least 12 teams.

There is a belief, too, that other leagues wouldn't be opposed to such a waiver if given.